1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, and more particularly, to a vehicle lamp that includes components structured to be simply coupled to each other.
2. Background Art
Generally, a vehicle is equipped with a plurality lamps to enable the driver of the vehicle to detect objects while driving at night and the lights inform other vehicles and road users of the vehicle's driving state.
Headlamps installed at the front of the vehicle are designed to illuminate the road ahead and should be bright enough to enable the driver to detect obstacles about 100 meters in front of the vehicle at night or in poor lighting conditions. In addition, taillights installed at the rear of the vehicle are designed to inform following vehicles of the location of the vehicle at night or in poor lighting conditions. Brake lights are also installed at the rear of the vehicle to inform the following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing down. The headlamps emit white visible light, and the taillights and the brake lights emit red light.
In a conventional vehicle lamp, a plastic bracket is used to couple components such as a light source, a printed circuit board (PCB), a heat sink, etc. Specifically, the plastic bracket and the heat sink are coupled to each other by inserting a rib of the plastic bracket into an aperture formed in the heat sink. Then, the rib is inserted sequentially into an aperture formed in an aluminum plate and an aperture formed in a flexible PCB to couple the heat sink, the aluminum plate, and the flexible PCB to the plastic bracket. Furthermore, the rib is melted with heat using, e.g., an iron. As the rib melts, the rib spreads laterally to harden, thereby fixing the heat sink, the aluminum plate and the flexible PCB to the plastic bracket. Finally, a reflective mirror, a lens, etc., are coupled to the plastic bracket by, e.g., screws. As a result, the vehicle lamp is completed.
The above coupling structure of the conventional vehicle lamp requires a process using heat. Thus, the entire process of manufacturing the vehicle lamp becomes complicated. In addition, since an additional part (such as the plastic bracket) designed only for coupling parts is required, thus, increasing manufacturing costs.